Depite heavy rain and flooding conditions a state away, rain locally barely moved the gauge.
The totals aren’t in yet for the current rain system, but meteorologists anticipate an average rainfall amount this year for Northeast Pennsylvania.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines said the area is on track to hit almost 31 inches of rain for the year, in line with the average amount in any given year.
“For the year, we’re doing pretty good,” he said. “We’re really close to where we should be.”
The region has experienced dry weather since July, Kines said, but a “decent” rainfall in late September has helped, with nearly three inches recorded Sept. 25, more than half of the normal rainfall amount for the month.
“Certainly saved us from being a lot worse off,” he said.
Water drops form on the leaves on a tree on Broad Street near Laurel Street in Hazleton on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.(John Haeger / Staff Photographer)
However, with the dry conditions, the rain hasn’t soaked into the ground and precipitation since the start of September has been below normal. Since Sept. 1, there has been a total of nearly 5 inches of precipitation, below the average of 6 inches, said Kaitlyn Lardeo, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Binghamton forecast office.
“I guess the only difference would be that the recent dry conditions that we had, that’s probably alluding to why we’re slightly below that normal value, at least from Sept. 1 through right now,” she said. “But other than that … it’s a pretty normal season other than maybe some slightly drier conditions than normal.”
Precipitation for Northeast Pennsylvania for the year has been slightly below average, according to the National Weather Service, with nearly 33 inches in Lackawanna County and 31 inches in Luzerne County.
A pedestrian holds an umbrella during a rainy afternoon in downtown Scranton Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
In addition, the Farmer’s Almanac forecast for the region calls for showers through mid-October, with rain and snow in early November.
The National Weather Service forecasts less than an inch of rain in the region Monday, tapering off Tuesday. It came from a nor’easter that made its way up the East Coast Sunday, prompting warnings about coastal flooding from the Carolinas into New England. The governors of neighboring New York and New Jersey issued states of emergency as parts of the state were expected to be hit by coastal flooding.
Kines said Monday’s rainfall is the kind that will be absorbed into the ground, but the rain won’t stick around. He expects it will be a while before the area sees significant rainfall.
“We’re heading back into a dry period, probably until maybe very late in the week or maybe early next week,” he said. “If you’re looking for a prolonged rain spell, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, at least anytime soon.”
Kines said with rainy weather in the spring, forecasters didn’t suspect the dry conditions later in the year, but the jet stream pattern has led to drier weather for the region.
The combination of a wet spring and the dry conditions in late summer and early fall means foliage might not be as vibrant, but it will be noticeable and will fade faster, according to officials with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The agency’s most recent fall foliage report shows leaves in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties being at peak foliage.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Originally Published: October 13, 2025 at 5:03 PM EDT